Tag: psychology

Why do we continue to limit the emotional lives of males when it serves no one?

A recent New York Times article takes a dig into the Male psychology and why it’s so hard for them to emote there feelings, unlike Females.

Being a “Male” I can relate to the findings. If you consider India for instance, then from a very young age boys are conditioned (by their families and societies) to become “Strong”.

Being strong means that you should avoid public display of your emotions. You are supposed to be the head of the household. If you cry you will be reminded that you are a Man, and a Man need not cry.

The emotions dry up gradually only to erupt in other forms. And anger becomes normal.

“Boys’ underperformance in school has more to do with society’s norms about masculinity than with anatomy, hormones or brain structure. In fact, boys involved in extracurricular cultural activities such as music, art, drama and foreign languages report higher levels of school engagement and get better grades than other boys. But these cultural activities are often denigrated as un-masculine by preadolescent and adolescent boys.”

“Bro Code” – The survival kit of many middle-class, white male students: online pornography, binge drinking, a brotherhood in which respect is proportional to the disrespect heaped onto young women during hookups, and finally, the most ubiquitous affirmation of their tenuous power, video games.

Surprisingly what studies have found is that from infancy through age 4 or 5, boys are more emotive than girls. But we socialize this vulnerability out of them.

The Article is worth reading and pondering on. We need to reevaluate things that have become normal and question if it’s of any benefit.